Canucks place Nils Aman on waivers

Only one player was placed on the waiver wire on Saturday, as the Vancouver Canucks made forward Nils Aman available to the other 31 teams in the NHL.

If Aman were to clear waivers on Sunday, he could be optioned to the Canucks’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.

Aman has played in four games so far this season, registering two assists, including a helper on Pius Suter’s goal in a 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 22. It was Aman’s latest appearance as he has been a healthy scratch for the last three games. In his time with the Canucks thus far, the Swedish center has averaged 10:28 of ice time, with a plus/minus of -1.

Unlike last season, Aman started the 2024-25 season on Vancouver’s main roster. He was consistently with the big club for most of last season but was a healthy scratch for a lot of the second half of the season. Aman appeared in 43 games in 2023-24, down from the 68 he played during his rookie campaign the season before.

The 24-year-old is in the first year of his two-year contract extension that he signed in Nov. 2023. The deal carries a cap hit of $825,000 through the 2025-26 season.

Aman was originally taken by the Colorado Avalanche in the sixth round, 167th overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft. However, the Avs elected not to sign the Leksands IF product, leaving him available to join the Canucks’ organization in 2022 as a free agent.

In 115 NHL appearances, Aman has notched seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points. He also played five games during Vancouver’s run to the second round in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.

He has played in 32 AHL games, scoring 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points.

Vancouver (4-2-3) has the third-best winning percentage in the Pacific Division, with their 11 points placing them in a three-way tie for fourth. They are set to visit the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.

Abbotsford (4-3-1) is fourth in the AHL’s Pacific Division. They are scheduled to face the San Diego Gulls on Saturday.